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Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs & Cucumber Tzatziki Salad

Life has been a whirlwind lately! I have spent a lot less time cooking... and a lot more time preparing for baby "Sprout" who will be arriving in about two weeks! Between trying to fit in the last bit of travel with "just the two of us" and preparing the house for baby's arrival, it seems like there is less and less time for spending time experimenting in the kitchen. However, that doesn't mean that we have been relying on takeout or fast food... not in this dietitian's house! The limited time just means that I use the following strategies to ensure that my household is eating nutritious foods while budgeting our time.

Cook once for multiple meals. Instead of spending time chopping veggies and dirtying dishes every night, make enough food to last a couple nights.

Double the recipe and freeze for later. This can be especially useful when preparing for a big life event... perhaps the birth of a new baby, a planned surgery or care-giving for a family member. In the past few weeks I have been prepping extra and freezing different meals including various soups and stews, veggie-packed casseroles, different types of lean meatballs, whole grain pumpkin waffles and fruit and nut energy bars.

Set it and forget it! Break out that slow cooker, prep your ingredients in the AM or the night before, then come home after a long day at work and enjoy your meal all ready to go!

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Interested in trying a new recipe that calls for all kinds of exotic ingredients? Great, I strongly encourage this experimentation... just don't do it on a Monday after a long day of work! Keep your weeknight meals simple, using a minimal number of ingredients :)

So that brings us back to our buffalo meatballs and tzatziki salad... a great Monday night mood booster that satisfies both #1 and #5 above, and you could absolutely double and freeze the recipe for meatballs to satisfy #3 as well. This is a husband-approved healthy meal, and we are taking advantage of a shortcut by using bottled buffalo sauce. Take note... any pre-made sauces, including buffalo sauces, are salty which is why we are adding minimal salt to the meatballs themselves, and why we balance the meatballs out with plenty of low sodium, potassium-rich veggies! Balance, balance, balance...

Whisk together yogurt, garlic, dill, olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with prepared cucumber. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Best if sits for at least 30 minutes before serving.